President Donald Trump has selected Heidi Overton, a White House policy aide, to serve as the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a report by Bloomberg News on Tuesday. The report cited a person familiar with the matter regarding the personnel choice. Overton currently serves as the deputy director of the White House domestic policy council.
Prior to her current role at the White House, Overton worked at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank. If confirmed, she would lead the federal agency responsible for regulating food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vaccines, and medical devices.
The FDA has been led by acting chief Kyle Diamantas since May. Diamantas took over the role after Marty Makary resigned from the position. Makary's departure followed several weeks of disagreements with senior White House and health advisers, as well as scrutiny regarding specific agency decisions.
A permanent commissioner would oversee the agency’s 18,000-plus employees and its various centers, including those for drug evaluation and food safety. Health care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and clinical trial participants would be the primary groups to notice shifts in agency priorities or regulatory enforcement. The specific timing of when a new leader would take office depends on the formal nomination and subsequent Senate confirmation process, neither of which have dates specified in the report.
The selection of a new commissioner follows a period of reported internal friction between the previous agency head and White House advisers. The appointment of a permanent leader is often seen as a step toward stabilizing agency policy after a period of interim leadership. The White House, the FDA, and Overton did not provide immediate comments on the report. The next steps involve a formal announcement from the administration and the scheduling of confirmation hearings by the U.S. Senate.